Light for golf clubs



May 16, 1939.

LIGHT-FOR GOLFCLUBS Filed June 13,1958 1 flazzkwflimew I I INVENTOJQArromm'.

M. AI'1'KEN 2,158,211

Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFiQE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to golf clubs, the primary object of theinvention being to provide a golf club designed primarily for teachingthe golf swing.

An important object of the invention is to provide a practice golf clubhaving a head illuminated in such a way that when the golf club isswung, in executing a golf stroke, the person swinging the club maydetermine the angle of the club face as the club head passes the placewhere an imaginary ball would be teed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a golf club having meansto indicate when the club is being swung with the proper speed andtiming, to assist the person using the club in determining when a properstroke of the club has been executed.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means whichwill enable the user to keep his eyes fixed at the point of contactbetween the club and ball, thereby eliminating the common fault oflifting the head, during the golf stroke.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein described, may be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

Figure l is an elevational view of a golf club constructed in accordancewith the invention.

Figure 2' is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a club head, the cover-plate having beenremoved.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2. V

Figure 5 is a. diagram indicating the line of flight when the club isswung from the inside out.

Figure 6 is a diagram indicating the line which is visible while viewingthe club head when swung from the outside in, which usually causes aslice.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the club includes a shaft embodyingthe grip section 5 and head section 6, the sections 5 and 6 beingpivotally connected as at 1. This pivotal connection between thesections 5 and 6 is such that the shaft of the club will break in thedirection of swing. As shown, the section 5 is provided with spacedopenings indicated at 8, for the reception of the securing bolt, wherebythe length of th shaft may be adjusted.

Positioned on the shaft, is a coiled spring indicated by the referencecharacter Q, the coiled spring having an enlarged portion l0 whichcom--.-

pletely surrounds the pivotal connecting point between the sections. Thecoiled spring engages the section 6, at a point between the pivot andthe club head, so that under normal conditions, the spring will act tohold the club shaft sections in direct alignment with each other. Thiscoiled spring 9 is of such a character that when the club is swung inthe proper manner, and at the proper speed, the coiled spring willovercome the tendency of the shaft sections to move with respect to eachother, but when the club shaft is swung too rapidly on either the backswing or the through swing, the club section 6 will pivot with respectto the section 5. It follows that this movement will be immediately feltby the hands of the operator, with the result that when the club head isagain swung through simulating a golf swing, the speed of the club willof course be reduced. In this way the person using the club ,may readilydetermine the exact speed at which the club should be moved on the backswing and the follow through swing, for a perfect stroke.

As clearly shown by the drawing, the upper surface of the club headindicated by the reference character H, is cut away providing acompartment l2 in which the supporting plate 13 is mounted. Thissupporting plate I3 is provided with lamp sockets in which the lamps Mare mounted. These lamps 14 have their contacts engaging the contact bar15 mounted on the spring arm it, that in turn is secured to the bottomof the compartment 12. The contact arm ll, which forms a part of themember 16, lies in the path of travel of the battery l8, which ismounted within the curved support I9 that is pivotally supported withinthe compartment, as by means of the connection 25. Forming a part of thecurved support 19, is a finger 2| that contacts with the batteryproviding one of the circuits to the lampsl l,

The reference character 22 designates one of the terminals of thebattery, which is so located that it will engage the contact arm ll,when the battery and curved supporting plate I9 move downwardly underthe centrifugal force caused by swinging the golf club to imitate thegolf swing, should the club be used in hitting a ball.

A cover-plate indicated by the reference character 23 is secured overthe cut-out portion or drawing,

compartment l2, completely enclosing the lamps and battery. It might befurther stated that this cover-plate 23 is constructed of translucentmaterial, so that the light rays from the lamps I may pass therethroughand be viewed by the person swinging the golf club.

From the foregoing it will be seen that due to the construction shownand described, I have provided a golf club which will be illuminatedwhen the golf club is swung with the proper speed, which is suflicientto overcome the tension of the spring l6, allowing the battery to moveinto engagement with the contact arm I I completing the circuit to thelamps.

It will further be seen that when the golf club is swung through animaginary golf ball, parallel streaks of light will be visible to theperson swinging the club as the club head passes the tee.

It follows that if the club head comes through with an open face asshown by Figure 5 of the two substantially close parallel streaks willappear at the outside of the club and a third streak spaced from theinnermost first mentioned streak, indicating the position of the clubface.

If the club is swung with a closed face as shown by. Figure 6, twosubstantially close streaks will appear adjacent to the inner side ofthe golf head, indicating the position of the golf face.

I claim:

1. A practice golf club including a head, electric lamps within the headan electric circuit, a suitable source of electric current within thehead, a contact member within the head and means coacting with saidcontact member and operable to complete the circuit to the electriclamps illuminating the lamps when the club is swung in executing apractice golf swing.

2. A practice golf club including a head, electric illuminating meanswithin the head, said illuminating means comprising electric bulbs, apivoted battery support, a battery mounted on the support, a contactmember in circuit with the bulbs, means for normally holding the batteryin spaced relation with the contact member,

and said battery adapted to move into engagement with the contact membercompleting the circuit to the bulbs when the club is swung in executinga practice swing with the club.

3.-A practice golf club including a head, electric illuminating meanswithin the head, a source of electricity-supply, mounted within thehead, an electric circuit between theillumin'ating means and source ofelectricity supply, a switch within the head and operable by centrifugalforce resulting from the normal swing of the club, a?

shaft for the club including pivotallyconnected sections, and said shaftsections being adapted to pivot with'respect to each other when suddenangular acceleration is imparted to the club.

MATTHEW AI'I'KEN.

